Thermally transmissive materials are widely employed as interfaces between, for example, a heat-generating electronic component and a heat sink for permitting transfer of excess thermal energy from the electronic component to a thermally coupled heat sink. Numerous designs and materials for such thermal interfaces have been implemented, with the highest performance being achieved when gaps between the thermal interface and the respective heat transfer surfaces of the electronic component and the heat sink are substantially avoided. In many cases, therefore, the thermal interface material is relatively soft, at least at operating temperatures, so as to be “conformable” to the somewhat uneven heat transfer surfaces of the respective components.
It is another aspect of many thermally conductive interfaces to be dielectric, so as to avoid short-circuiting of the electronic components to which the thermal interface is secured. An example conventional interface is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,810,563, the content of which being incorporated herein by reference.
Thermal interface structures can often form a joint securing together separate components of an electronic assembly. The ideal joint, therefore, is highly thermally transmissive, exhibits a strong bonding characteristic to the heat transfer surfaces of the components, and, in some cases, is highly electrically insulative (dielectric). Such interfaces should also be easily incorporated into electronic device assembly procedures, and be relatively inexpensive. Currently available interfaces do not adequately address each of the desired characteristics described above. There is accordingly a need for a thermally conductive, dielectric interface that proficiently transports thermal energy between heat transfer surfaces of separate components in an electronic assembly, and which interface is capable of providing a strong bond between such components to act as a permanent joint therebetween.